Amtrak celebrating National Train Day May 11

WASHINGTON – On Saturday, May 11, 2013, Amtrak will join communities across America to celebrate the importance of trains to their town at the sixth annual National Train Day. More than 200 communities are expected to host events at local train stations, railroad museums and [...]

Amtrak haters: Bullies with no public purpose

The following article was written by Railway Age columnist and former UTU Director of Public Relations Frank N. Wilner. Conservative columnist and American Enterprise scholar Michael Barone, with degrees from Harvard and Yale, is a smart fellow. But a recent column about Amtr [...]

NARP rebuts CNN high speed rail report

The following rebuttal from the National Association of Railroad Passengers is in response to a CNN report by Anderson Cooper critical of Amtrak and high speed rail funding: “So is Anderson Cooper still a real journalist? He headlines a daily talk show, and was swimming with [...]

Amtrak seeks $2.1B for improvements

Amtrak, the U.S. intercity passenger railroad supported by taxpayers, asked Congress to more than double its capital budget so it can buy more trains and improve infrastructure. Amtrak, in a letter today to Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner, asked for $2 [...]

Rail passenger groups seeks federal aid

The National Association of Railroad Passengers, the U.S. High Speed Rail Association, Californians for High Speed Rail, and the Midwest High Speed Rail Association are urging Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to support XpressWest’s creation of a Los Angeles to Las Vega [...]

UTU, Amtrak reach tentative contract deal

After more than two years of negotiations, three UTU-SMART general committees representing some 2,300 Amtrak members have reached a deal with the passenger carrier on a new contract. General Chairpersons Bill Beebe, Robert Keeley and Dirk Sampson represent Amtrak conductors, [...]

Coscia elected chairman, Amtrak board of directors

WASHINGTON – The Amtrak Board of Directors has elected Anthony R. Coscia to be its next chairman to help guide the future of the railroad and carry out initiatives to increase ridership and improve operational and financial performance. In addition, the Amtrak board elected J [...]

Rule adds non-controlled substances to drug list

The Federal Railroad Administration has published a final rule, effective May 6, 2013, adding certain non-controlled substances with potentially impairing side effects to its standard post-accident testing panel.  This rule will enact the addition of over-the-counter, legal d [...]

Stem testifies before House railroad subcommittee

SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director James Stem and others testified yesterday before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials regarding the importan [...]